WORLD NEWS

While the Sri Lankan President was addressing the UN General Assembly, a mock prosecution was held outside the UN against Sri Lanka for committing Genocide, War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity. Three judges presided the hearing. Prosecution and defense attorneys presented their arguments. Several UN officials, diplomats and general public observed the proceedings with interest. Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) organized this event. BELOW, PLEASE FIND THE PROCEEDINGS: Bailey: The International Justice and Peace Tribunal is in session now. [3 Judges enter the courtroom] Presiding Judge: We take Case Number – 001-17, International Civil Society v. Sri Lanka The Prosecutor: My name is Logeswaran. I represent the Petitioner in the investigation of the charges against and prosecution of Sri Lanka pursuant to the Genocide […]

As a woman, a Sri Lankan immigrant, one of the chief architects of former First Lady Michelle Obama’s ‘Let Girls Learn’ initiative, and wife of the CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, Krishanti Vignarajah is the antithesis of the current administration. But that’s a major part of the reason why she announced her candidacy for governor of Maryland earlier this month. “I am running for Governor because I am worried my daughter and all children in Maryland will not have the same opportunities my parents gave me when they brought our family here when I was a baby girl,” Vignarajah declares on the front page of her website. “The deficit in leadership from our current Governor could not come at a worse time.” She adds, […]

By P/K.Balachandran Reflecting the sharp communal divide in the country, Sri Lankan Muslims and Buddhists have been holding counter demonstrations in the island nation, opposing each other’s stand point on the Rohingya Muslim issue in Myanmar. Both communities see the tragic events in Myanmar as a Muslim-Buddhist issue and not as a humanitarian or a human rights issue of humongous proportions. It was in the Muslim-majority areas in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province that Muslims began demonstrating against the merciless killing of Rohingyas in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. The Muslim movement then spread to Jaffna in the Northern Province, where the Muslims had themselves suffered ethnic cleansing at the hands of the Tamil militants in 1990, when 90,000 of them were asked to leave in 24 hours. They trickled […]

Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa said the former commander of the army should “shut up” (and not expose the war crimes committed by some of his close associates) , after stating he would testify against a military colleague accused of war crimes. Sarath Fonseka, the former Sri Lankan Army chief who vanquished the LTTE, on Friday said that he was prepared to testify in a court against his successor Jagath Jayasuriya in the war crimes investigation. “When I was the Commander I did receive certain complaints of crimes committed by Jayasuriya’s brigade mostly to do with crimes perpetrated on those detained during the war,” Fonseka told reporters in Colombo. In an interview to Ceylon Today, Mr Rajapaksa rebuked former army commander Sarath Fonseka’s comments. “Everybody […]

China emerging as a big player among the global investors in Sri Lanka raises concerns which the island nation should reflect on closely. As much as Sri Lanka needs to keep ends warm with India, the same approach is needed in its dealings with China, the biggest investor in the island. A huge work force from China is at present on Sri Lankan soil. They are at present working along with Sri Lankans at work sites and only time will tell whether the islanders will adopt the work ethics and commitment shown by the Chinese, when given a task. When expatriate workers seek employment they also consider other factors like entertainment But there are concerns that a prolonged stay by the Chinese here may give […]

Human Rights Council Should Seek Timeline for Action (Geneva, September 14, 2017) – United Nations member countries at the Human Rights Council in Geneva should press Sri Lanka to promptly meet the targets of the council’s October 2015 resolution for transitional justice, Human Rights Watch said today. Sri Lanka should put forward a time-bound and specific implementation plan on the four transitional justice mechanisms it agreed to establish as pledged in the resolution. The UN high commissioner for human rights, Zeid al Ra’ad Hussein, in his opening remarks at the councilon September 11, 2017, highlighted Sri Lanka’s lack of progress, and called on the government to realize that its obligations are not a mere “box-ticking exercise to placate the council but as an essential undertaking to address […]

Calls for probe into SF’s allegations against Gen. JJ By Cyril Wimalasurendre, ‘The Island,’ Colombo, September 10, 2017 KANDY – Alleging that the army continued to hold about 85,000 acres of land in the North, Northern Province Chief Minister and former Supreme Court judge C.W. Wigneswaran, on Saturday, sought the intervention of most Ven. Tibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera of Malwatte Chapter to shift troops out those lands. CM Wigneswaran claimed that only about 5,000 acres had been so far released to their original owners. The Chief Minister placed the strength of the army deployed in the Northern Province at 150,000. Asserting that there was no requirement to maintain such a large force in the Northern Province, Wigneswaran called for their removal.The Mahanayake thera told […]

Citing the geographical and strategic location of Sri Lanka, a Senate committee has opposed Trump Administration’s proposal of a drastic 92 per cent cut in American aid to the island nation, the Press Trust of India reported. “Given the geostrategic importance of the country, the Committee does not support the President’s budget request for Sri Lanka, which proposed a 92 per cent reduction in assistance from the prior fiscal year,” the Senate Appropriations Committee said in a report passing the annual State appropriations bill for the fiscal year 2018, beginning October 1. The appropriations bill, which landed on the Senate floor yesterday for consideration, seeks USD 43 million for Sri Lanka. This includes USD 35 million as economic support fund, USD 6.8 million for non-proliferation […]

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein noted frustration over the “slow pace of reforms” in Sri Lanka and said the absence of action on accountability meant exercising universal jurisdiction was “even more necessary”. Speaking at the opening of the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva, the human rights chief called on Sri Lanka to live up to commitments it had made to the international community. “I encourage the Government to act on its commitment in Resolution 30/1 to establish transitional justice mechanisms, and to establish a clear timeline and benchmarks for the implementation of these and other commitments,” he said. “This should not be viewed by the Government as a box-ticking exercise to placate the Council, but as […]

Nandri! Vanakkam! Thank you, Gary, for your kind introduction and for your incredibly hard work for the Tamil community and for all communities. How about a big round of applause for Gary? And thank you, big round of applause for all our great MP’s who work so hard across the GTA. It’s great to be back in Scarborough for Tamil Fest again this year. I’m happy to report that my Kothu Roti is getting better, which I know you’ll all appreciate. My friends, this event has become a real staple in the community – I’m told we’re expecting over 200,000 people this weekend, which is amazing. I’m sure when Raj, Danton, and David started Tamil Fest 3 years ago, they didn’t expect it to take […]

Threat of international war crimes probe? ‘Fonseka to testify against Jayasuriya’ by Bandu de Silva Former Ambassador bandudes@gmail.com I refer to the news item in today’s The island (Saturday 2nd September 2017) and would like to comment on contracts on which non-career ambassadors are appointed by the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry, to create public awareness in search of truth. I do so with my background as a former Director General and Ambassador and Director of Overseas Administration in the Foreign Ministry whose duties included preparation of contracts to be signed by non -career ambassadors, and also one who served with 12 heads of mission appointed on contract. There is something fishy about the content of the local media reports. They speak of General Jayasuriya claiming he took […]

Former Army Commander Field Marshal Fonseka had said that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had ordered the killing of some surrendering LTTE leaders in May 2009. But once given the Minister post by Maithiri-Ranil team he closed his mouth now Fonseka has said he is ready to testify against Maj. Gen. Jayasuriya a close associate of Gotabhaya and produce evidence in support of his claims. What will he be offered by Ranil- Maithiri for not telling the truth about the war crimes committed by the Maj.Gen. is a question mark. The White flag surrender was negotiated between Sri Lankan Government Leaders and LTTE Leaders by the UN officials in May 2009 and the LTTE Leaders surrendered with White flag. Few political leaders and their family members were killed […]

By Upali de Saram and Norman Palihawadane Regional Development Minister Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka yesterday said he was ready to give evidence against his successor in the army, General Jagath Jayasuriya if the latter was tried for war crimes. Field Marshal Fonseka said he had received information that General Jayasuriya had committed various offences as the Commandant of the Vanni range. Fonseka said that when he was the commander of the army Jayasuriya had been tasked to head supplies and rehabilitation work in Vavuniya. There was information that Jayasuriya had misused his position but due action could not be taken as the then Secretary Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was protecting Jayasuriya, Fonseka said. The Field Marshal said he was ready to make information in his possession […]

Sri Lanka’s former army commander, Sarath Fonseka on Friday said he was ready to testify against the former military commander, Jagath Jayasuriya who has been accused of war crimes. “At that time, I had several complaints against him. It was to do with crimes against suspects in his custody,” Fonseka was quoted by AP as saying, adding that My Jayasuriya was responsible for detained LTTE cadres. “As I started an investigation, the then rulers removed me as army commander.” “If there are proper legal proceedings then I am prepared to stand as a witness,” Mr Fonseka told a press conference. The Daily Mirror quoted Mr Fonseka as saying: “I received complaints that Mr. Jayasuriya was engaged in crimes as Vanni commander with regard to those who were arrested. […]

BY GAGANI WEERAKOON President Maithripala Sirisena is to spell-out his plans on the continuity of the alliance with the UNP today at the 66th Convention of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) at the Campbell Park in Colombo. The 66th Convention today will be crucial, as the party is already facing a challenge of deciding its path to future elections with the majority of its stalwarts threatening to either quit the government if it continues to be a UNP-SLFP joint government. The government is lready crippled by many of SLFP seniors, with a massive vote base, joining the Joint Opposition, following party deciding to oust them from their respective organizer posts and President Sirisena having to appoint a host of fresh electoral and district organizers. […]

Rajapakshe did not take a concrete action to save us from War Crime, He was in denial and not allowing anything to happen. Maithiri + Ranil government has a different approach to save us, but nothing is happening. Accusations: Investigate the Ambassador over war crimes, sexual assaults and torture, the indiscriminate shelling of a hospital and preventing humanitarian assistance reaching the civilians. By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan Tall and well-built, retired Army General, Jagath Jayasuriya, who was posted in Brazil as the Sri Lankan Ambassador, is back in town with mounted allegations against him related to his posts as a military man and an ambassador. He said that although he was the Vanni Commander, he was not on the frontlines and it was Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka […]

https://roar.media/english/life/sponsored/mothers-of-the-disappeared-and-civic-responsibility/ After renowned journalist, actor and poet Richard De Zoysa was abducted and murdered, his mother, Dr. Manorani Saravanamuttu, famously called herself the “luckiest mother in Sri Lanka”, because unlike thousands of others, she was fortunate enough to see her son’s body. De Zoysa was one of approximately 65,000 people who have been forcefully disappeared during Sri Lanka’s short but bloody history of insurrections and ethnic civil war. His mother would go on to become an iconic figure, serving as coordinator of the Mother’s Front—a coalition of mothers of the disappeared from across the country demanding answers regarding enforced disappearances. The movement was a watershed moment in the history of activism in Sri Lanka. Unlike many of the struggles that preceded it, this was a movement led almost […]

It is high time the International Community exerts pressure on the Government to investigate immediately the fate of the Missing Persons, Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran noted yesterday at a function where the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances in Jaffna was observed. The Chief Minister also noted in a press communiqué that the families of the victims of enforced disappearances who are resorting to protest demonstrations should be assured that we do support them in their agitations and peaceful demonstrations. “Many demonstrations are being constantly staged these days throughout the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Even though we have been writing, as well as orally calling upon the Government to take meaningful steps regarding missing persons, such steps have not been taken […]

A special event to hand over 78 houses, to needy families, was organized in Morakkoddanchenai, Batticaloa on Saturday (26). The Minister of Rehabilitation, and Resettlement, D. M. Swaminathan graced the occasion as the chief guest. Addressing the gathering, the Minister stated: “The good governance Government is fully aware that the people in the North and East, who were affected by the conflict, require 160,000 houses and the government is doing its best to provide these houses. The government will make the people’s dreams a reality.” The Minister added that the rice mill which was abandoned in the Morakkoddanchenai area will be reconstructed and would generate employment opportunities for hundreds of people. “Our goal is to give a better life to people who have undergone untold […]